Making the most of Cuxhaven
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise Ships will dock at the Europe or Humber Quay. The Cuxhaven cruise terminal is equipped with all usual services, like 2 restaurants, bus- and taxi-services, tourist information and parking.
Distance to the city center: 2.0 km (1.2 miles)
To the Main Train station: 1.5 km (0.9 miles)
Airports: Cuxhaven-Nordholz 11 km (= 6.8 miles) (Charter flights only); Bremen 100 km (62.1 miles) and Hamburg 130 km (80.8 miles).
By train: from Hamburg and Bremen: there is a Train every hour.
By ferry: there is a Fast ferry to and from Hamburg (2 hours and 30 minutes). daily in the summer season with depart Hamburg at 09.00 hrs and depart from Cuxhaven at 17.45 hrs.
To get from there to or from the Hamburg railway station (=Bahnhof) take the underground nr. 3 or trams S1 or S3. The stop for the ferry is called "'Landungsbrucken".
Sightseeing
Alte Liebe (Old Love) is a former quai turned viewing platform at the entrance to the Cuxhaven harbor. Good view of passing ships. Loudspeakers announce their names and origin.
Schloß Ritzebüttel Small castle-like building near the Nordersteinstraße shopping area.
The Kugelbake marks the geographic point where the Elbe river ends. Originally intended as a navigation aid, it is one of the most notable constructions in the region. It was incorporated in the Cuxhaven coat of arms when the city was incorporated and remains one of its primary landmarks.
Water Tower
Semaphor Located next to the Alte Liebe, the Sempahor is a construction from the year 1884 that is used to communicate wind strength and direction to passing ships. It is still set every day.
Getting around
Beach/Dunes: this is the area of the sea where the water recedes during low tide. It's one of the main reasons why people visit Cuxhaven. You can take walks, look at crabs, build castles from the sand and the mud, and so on. Be warned that the rising water can be tricky! See the video
Getting around Germany is incredible easy. The Train network is comfortable, reliable, fast and reasonably priced. The eastern and western train systems have now been fully merged. German roads are also excellent and motorized transport can be a great way to tour the country.
The national and famous motorway network, known as autobahnen, officially there is no general speed limit, but, in an attempt to increase safety and control the pollution, a lot of segments have speed limits (which are strictly controlled). If you rent a car, make sure you stay in the right lane at all times, except when passing! Speeds of 200km or over are not uncommon.
Taxis are dependable but expensive.
Nearby places
Bremen and Hamburg.
Food and shopping
Special purchases include precision optical equipment such as binoculars and cameras, porcelain, handmade crystal, silver, steel ware, Solingen knives, leather wear, sports equipment, toys from Nuremberg and Bavarian Loden cloth. Special purchases in eastern Germany include musical instruments, wooden carved toys from the Erzgebirge Mountains, and Meissen china
In Germany snacks (Schnellimbiss) are widely available, especially Bock wurst (boiled sausage), Bratwurst (grilled sausage) and Curry wurst (spiced sausage), as well as fries and hamburgers
German fast food is cheap, hearty and diverse; there are a number of sausage stands, imbisses and specialty stands; you have many options from which choose. Many of the fast food is of Turkish origin, this food is very popular for being cheap and healthy. The German's favorite Turkish fast food is the Doner Kebab; a thick pita filled generally with either chicken or beef complemented with fresh French fries and salad.
Important things to know about Germany, like tipping, toilets etc.
Money
Euro. There are plenty of ATM machines around.
In smaller establishments ask first if they accept Credit Cards.
Staying connected
German spoken. Germans are regarded as being punctual, disciplined and last but not least, a little formal. In German there are two forms of you: "Du" and "Sie." "Du" is less formal, "Sie" is more so. You almost always should use the "Sie" form and someone's last name with people you don't know.
110 -- Police Emergency 112 -- Fire Emergency or Ambulance Call
Most cafes offer free WiFi.
Several Webcams in Cuxhaven.
Opening Hours and
All stores must close no later than 8 p.m. Some close as early as 6:30 p.m. On Saturdays stores lock up at 1 or 2 p.m.; although in big city centers most stay upon until 2 or 4 p.m.
Sundays all stores are closed, except some bakeries which are open on sunday morning.
January 1 New Year's Day January 6 Epiphany varies - Good Friday varies - Easter varies - Easter Monday May 1 Labor Day varies - Ascension Day (usually in May) varies - Whit monday (usually mid-May) October 3 Unity Day December 25 Christmas Day December 26 St. Stephan's Day